Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

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• For a delicious holiday treat, try baking these amazing molasses cookies. They come out soft and chewy. (Unless you over bake them, of course, and then you can call them ginger snaps!) They have become a holiday favorite! For an extra hint of Christmas cheer, try rolling the cookies in red or green (or both) sugar. Yummmmm!!
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• 1 1/2 cups shortening, melted and cooled
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt

Direction

-Melt the shortening in a large pan on the stove, and cool.

-Add sugar, eggs, and molasses, beat well.

-In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together and add to the pan. Mix well and chill 3 hours or overnight.

-Form into walnut-size balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart

-Bake at 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. 

-Store in an airtight container to keep from getting overly crisp. If they do lose their softness, an easy way to restore it is to place one slice of fresh bread in the container with the cookies for a couple of hours or overnight and they will be soft again! (Say what!? Great trick to know!)